First of all you drive on the Right in France, in a Left Hand Drive car, the opposite to UK, yes I know . . . → Read More: Driving In France]]> Driving in France is slightly different to UK, here are some notes to read even if you are only coming here on holiday. But some of them apply to UK driving too!

First of all you drive on the Right in France, in a Left Hand Drive car, the opposite to UK, yes I know this is obvious, but one of my old work colleagues are stumped when he discovered this… his face was a picture when I told him you go around roundabouts the opposite way to UK as well!

• Roundabouts – A good place to start.. don’t be surprised if no one indicates their intentions on roundabouts… that is just the norm over here. Also people tend to treat roundabouts as only having a single lane not multiple lanes. You get used to it! Oh and yes you go anti-clockwise on roundabouts.
• Speed limits – On entering a village designated by the sign with a red border normally the speed limit is 50 kph unless there are signs to say other wise. National roads the limit is 90 kph unless signed otherwise. Dual carriageways tend to be 110 kph, but will be signed accordingly. Autoroutes (Motorways) are 130 kph, but during rain or adverse weather conditions the speed is reduced to 110 kph. There are sometimes lower limits for bigger vehicles and for cars with caravans or trailers.
• Things you must carry:
  • Bulbs – A spare set of bulbs for your car, make sure they are the right type.
  • Hi Vis vest – Preferably one per person, but the drivers one must be available without getting out of the car, so under the seat or in the door pocket is a good place
  • breathalyser – A new addition this summer, carry two so you have one even if you have used one.
  • warning triangle – In case you break down, must be placed in the road to warn other road users.
• Joining motorways – give way to traffic already on the motorway, don’t barge in, making people slow down to let you in.
• Overtaking on motorways (indicators) – when people overtake on motorways in France they tend to leave their left hand indicator on all the time they are staying in the outside lane. It stops people ‘tail-gating’ you. And they will return to the inside lane almost straight away.
• Hazard lights when slowing because of an obstruction and you suddenly have to brake in France you must put on your four way hazard lights until the vehicle behind does the same and then you can cancel yours.
• Speed cameras – unlike in UK speed cameras are not easy to spot, and there are plenty of them, with more being installed. Mobile cameras are common too and you can be given an on the spot fine. Vehicles can be impounded too in certain cases. Average speed cameras are starting to be introduced in France as well.
• Road markings – A single solid white line in the middle of the road is the equivalent of a double white line in UK…. saves on paint I suppose.
• Stop Signs – Stop and pause, imagine there is someone hiding in the bushes watching you to make sure you have stopped. It’s an on the spot fine if they think you haven’t stopped long enough. I make sure the car has come to a rest and settled on it’s suspension before then moving off if it’s clear or course.
• Drink Driving – don’t drink and drive, simple. The limit in France is lower than UK so don’t be tempted.
• Sat Nav and speed cameras – it is now illegal in France to have any device that warns you in advance of speed cameras, this includes Sat Navs, there is a hefty €1500 fine if you are caught too.
• Lorries and how they overtake – you don’t get lorries having 5 mile drag races blocking the motorways here in France. Why they do it in UK beats me they will drive for mile upon mile with less than a half a mile per hour between them.
• Head lights – If you are coming from UK don’t forget to put on beam converters on your headlights so you don’t dazzle on coming drivers. Also remember to only use your front and rear fog lights when there is poor visibility. Don’t leave them on because you think it makes the car look good!
• Mobile phones: it is an offence to hold and use a mobile phone while driving in France. Hands-free use of mobile phones is not illegal. Though many drivers ignore this rule, traffic police are clamping down on drivers holding phones to their ears while driving, and drivers are liable to an on-the-spot fine.
• Minimum age: The minimum age for driving a car in France is 18; thus no-one under the age of 18 can drive a car in France, even if he or she holds a valid licence in another country.

Overall driving in France is quite an enjoyable experience, the roads are not as crowded and people tend not to drive like there is no tomorrow, so slow down, take your time and enjoy the scenery.

Panic. Having had the same procedure on my other foot in the UK in . . . → Read More: What it’s really like – a personal encounter with the French health service]]> ‘C’est le pied grec, madame, le pied de Morton en anglais,’ chortles the consultant. He thinks it’s hilarious I have the same surname as the condition. ‘When shall I book you in for the operation? Is Tuesday week okay for you?’

Panic. Having had the same procedure on my other foot in the UK in 2004, I knew I’d need a couple of months to recover fully.  And I was due to meet up with colleagues at FrenchEntree Property Finders for our annual conference in the UK in four weeks’ time.

Rescheduled for mid-April, I turned up the morning of the operation at the swish Clinique Saint-Léonard in Trélazé near Angers, bag packed for two days. After checking in, I was escorted to my ensuite single room by a friendly hôtesse. Within 30 minutes, I’d had vitals done and an instruction session on taking a full shower and hairwash in yellow antiseptic stuff and putting on gown, hilarious knickers and plastic overshoes. Once so accoutered, I was to lie on the bed and not budge.

In trooped a nurse who plumbed a catheter into my inner elbow and attached an anti-biotic drip. Er, why did I need this? ‘Le cas ou,’ she replied, or more properly, prophylactically. The French are big on the precautionary principle.

Two joking anesthetists amused me as my leg and foot vanished from my nervous system courtesy of local anesthetic. In the theatre, the consultant, two assistants, one of the jokers, sorry, anesthetists and nurse did their stuff, all the time speaking to me and ensuring I had no pain.

In the recovery room, I ended up swapping medical vocabulary with two nurses and teaching them some English. All those episodes of “Casualty” weren’t a waste of time then….

Back in my room, more checking of vitals and a little tray of pills – four types plus a glass vial of a truly horrible substance. I’d be taking this cocktail three times a day until I left two days later. During my recovery day, I saw so many different staff I lost count: the surgeon, nurses, auxiliaries, catering staff, room cleaner, more nurses, auxiliaries, etc. etc.

As for pain relief, none of the Anglo-Saxon stiff upper lip nonsense of ‘Let me know if the pain gets too bad.’ Pain was not permitted. And no, I was not forced to the humiliation of the bed pan but provided with a helper and a frame to get me to the bathroom when I wanted.

You may be thinking, she’s gone private – this isn’t normal. Sure, over 52% of surgical procedures in France are carried out by private hospitals (Source: Challenges magazine). But as a self-employed taxpayer integrated into the social security system and holding a carte vitale, it was funded at agreed, fixed rates by the French health service (averaged 70%) and my top-up insurer (averaged 30%). Broadly, if you are receiving benefits or have low income, the state pays your 30%. Sometimes there’s a little extra fee to pay if you have a super-surgeon, but apart from that, I didn’t pay.

I was equally impressed by the aftercare: a bag of meds, dressings, etc., a nurse calling daily to give me an “anti-phlébite” jab and to change dressings, then an x-ray after three weeks and follow up consultation.

Almost a pleasure. Almost.

Once you’ve decided on the property you want to buy (which is a huge subject in itself – see this post and this one), you want to get on with it. It’s . . . → Read More: The essential 8 steps to buying your French property]]> The spring months are a great time for visiting France – an obvious statement! Even better for pressing noses on estate agents’ windows.

Once you’ve decided on the property you want to buy (which is a huge subject in itself – see this post and this one), you want to get on with it. It’s probably worthwhile refreshing yourself on the mechanics of the system in France, so here’s a quick run-down…

The small print: This guide is only intended to be helpful information. Buyers and sellers should always seek professional advice.

1.  Buyer and seller agree on the price and the terms of contract, including any conditional clauses (clauses suspensives). This is the time to be specific about any fixtures and fittings that are going to be left or removed, like a kitchen!

2. The preliminary sales contract (compromis de vente) is drawn up by the agent or notaire, and signed by both parties. The buyer pays the deposit (usually 5-10 per cent of the purchase price) at this stage to the notaire. It is up to the buyer and vendor to ensure that everything is communicated correctly to the notaire and that all points agreed between them are detailed in the contract.

3.  Conditional clauses can be inserted into the compromis covering things such as rights of way, planning permission or a mortgage application being approved. Be sure that any clauses agreed with the seller are indeed included in the initial sales contract before signing; don’t sign anything you don’t understand or are not sure about.

4. Signing the compromis is an important step; it’s the stage when people commit to the deal. However, there is a seven-day cooling off period starting from date of signature during which the buyer can withdraw (but the seller can’t). On the eighth day, the contract becomes legally binding. If the buyer pulls out after this, they forfeit the deposit.

5.  If you are going to buy with a mortgage, now is the time to put in your formal application. However, it’s better to have applied for a mortgage in principal before you start looking for property so you don’t miss buying your dream property at a crucial stage. But you are generally protected because obtaining your mortgage will be a condition of the compromis – you can pull out if your application is turned down. Once the mortgage offer has been issued by the bank or other funder, it will be confirmed to the notaire and the compromis becomes unconditional.

6.  The notaire handles the conveyancing on both buyer’s and seller’ behalf; this can take around three months. When all the paperwork is ready, the notaire confirms the date and time of the signing of the acte de vente.

7.  The buyer must transfer the balance of the agreed property price to the notaire’s account before the day of signing the acte de vente.

8. On the day of completion, all parties meet the notaire to sign the acte de vente (the buyers can appoint a proxy if they can’t be present in person). The acte is read out and signed and initialled by all buyers and sellers. Keys and a certificate of sale (attestation de vente) are handed over to the new owners and ownership is transferred. The final acte de vente papers are sent out by the notaire between three and six months later when all the paperwork is completed.

Now, FrenchEntree has developed pages in French (of course!), Spanish, Italian, Russian and Chinese. If you go to the FrenchEntree property finders website you will now see flags at the top of the site which will . . . → Read More: International pages for property finders]]> Loire Thouet Property Search belongs to the FrenchEntree Property Finders network which searches out property for buyers throughout France.

Now, FrenchEntree has developed pages in French (of course!), Spanish, Italian, Russian and Chinese. If you go to the FrenchEntree property finders website you will now see flags at the top of the site which will take you through to language page of your choice.

This complements the France for Americans  and France for Australians mini-sites that FrenchEntree has already developed.

FrenchEntree is already number one on Chinese google for “French property finders” which reflects its international positioning.

But don’t forget to come back and visit us here in the Loire!

It may give you a clue to the sort of environment you prefer. And it might be the same or completely different from the one you live in now.

Although we appreciate something, e.g. a holiday in the high mountains, enjoying the magnificent views, the quietness, the . . . → Read More: Your French environment]]> Which of these pictures instinctively grabs you?

It may give you a clue to the sort of environment you prefer. And it might be the same or completely different from the one you live in now.

Although we appreciate something, e.g. a holiday in the high mountains, enjoying the magnificent views, the quietness, the air, we may not like the thought of it 24/7/52.

Perhaps you’re happier settled in more open countryside or listening to the swish of the sea roll up the beach and breathing in the salt air during morning walks.

As a city person, you may be spooked by the absolute quiet of the rural environment, only broken each morning by chickens clucking and Jean-Pierre going off to the fields at 5am on his noisy tractor.

Are you attracted by living out of sight of another human being, or would you like people around you? Maybe a village or small town is a good compromise.  Do you want to step out of your front door and be in fields within minutes?

How important is a daily chat with your neighbours?  If you are an urban animal, your need to think about theatres, clubs, good shopping, restaurants?

And what about canoeing, fishing, swimming, sailing or plain mucking about on the river? Or trips up to Paris every so often on the TGV.

Are you an active person who likes to go out visiting châteaux, or caves to buy wine, going to local music festivals, or out and about to the local tourist attractions?

Buying a property in France is a big decision and the type of environment you choose will go a great way to it being a success or not.

Tours Airport lies to the east and is around 1h10mins by car. Several companies offer car . . . → Read More: Air links to the Loire Valley]]> Transport and access are factors that should be considered seriously when choosing the location of your French property. The Loire Valley area is very well served with a generous selection of airports.
Let’s take Saumur as a an example…

Tours Airport lies to the east and is around 1h10mins by car. Several companies offer car hire at the airport, but it’s always better to book before. More information (in English) at Aéroport Tours Val de Loire The main air route is provided by Ryanair which runs 3/4 services each way per week from London Stansted, twice a week from/to Manchester plus Dublin and Southampton in the summer season.

Poitiers Airport is a little further away, but may be a good option if you are looking further south. Ryanair operates 3/4 flights a week to /from London Stansted  and to/from Edinburgh in July and August. Car hire pick up point here for several companies. More information at Aéroport de Poitiers-Biard.

For a wider selection of flights, Nantes Atlantique Airport may be a better choice. Around 1h50 mins from Saumur  CityJet  flies to/from London City airport and Flybe from/to Gatwick most days and Manchester 3/4 times a week.  Ryanair flies 3/4 times a week from Dublin and twice a week from Shannon. From Nantes, you can fly to a vast range of other European countries. More in English at Aéroport Nantes Atlantique.

If you are arriving in Paris by air from an international destination, Saumur is easily reached by TGV (Train Grande Vitesse), the super-fast, comfortable express trains France is justifiably proud of, changing at Tours (or nearby St Pierre des Corps) for a TER train to Saumur. Do look at the Voyages-sncf website for details.

But we’ll look at trains in more detail in another post…

STOP PRESS! From 29 May 2012, we understand BA City Flyer will be running a service three times a week from Angers to London City Airport. Only 40 minutes from the Airport to Saumur. More at Angers-Loire Aéroport. Something we will definitely be investigating ourselves!

(The small print stuff: we don’t get any money or other consideration from any of the carriers mentioned. Timetables and routes change all the time so please look at their websites, ask other people and read the trade press before making any bookings. And all times and distances are approximate.)

One question I’m constantly asked about the Loire Valley area is ‘What’s the weather like and how does it compare with other regions?’ Basically, France has four broad climatic zones:

Today, I sat on the terrace with a friend in 14C enjoying the warm sunshine. We reminded each other that . . . → Read More: Weather back to normal]]> The Great European Freeze is over! The weather last Saturday evening was an abnormal  -10C but by Monday lunchtime it had flipped up to +11C, a massive difference of 21C! And the snow has vanished.

Today, I sat on the terrace with a friend in 14C enjoying the warm sunshine. We reminded each other that sitting outside  was what we normally did in February in the Deux-Sèvres. This is one of the reasons we moved to France.

But we have been given some breathtaking sights during this strange . . . → Read More: Ice on the Loire]]> The great European freeze has continued. But Météo-France promises us above zero temperature by the middle of next week.  Last February, we were in tee-shirts and working in the garden, so I can say this year of the great European freeze has been exceptional.

But we have been given some breathtaking sights during this strange weather. I went up to Saumur today for a regular visit and filmed the Loire at its weirdest.

Believe me, it won’t be back any time soon!

This was Rome yesterday.

And this was Algeria. In North Africa.